KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Several Knoxville first response agencies are participating in an active shooter training exercise at West Town Mall on Sunday, Sept. 25, according to the Knoxville Police Department.
The exercise will begin after the mall closes at 6 p.m. Officers will begin closing the JCPenny parking lot area at that same time, however, traffic will still be allowed in and out of the parking lot until 7 p.m., KPD said.
KPD, the Knoxville Fire Department, the UT Police Department, Rural Metro Fire, Knox County 9-1-1 and American Medical Response (AMR) are all scheduled to take part in the exercise.
The training exercise, which will begin between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., will use half of the mall—including the entrance between JCPenny and The Cheesecake Factory.
KPD said citizens should be aware that there will be a large presence of emergency response vehicles and personnel taking part in real-life training scenarios during the exercise.
The UT Medical Center will also actively participate in the exercise. Patients at the UTMC should expect to see increased activity related to the training around UTMC's Emergency Department.
The exercise is expected to finish at 11 p.m.
KPD said in the event of an actual ongoing critical incident, the public will be notified in a timely manner.
